SIMILAR TO not being able to recognize diamonds in their natural state, many of us are at fault for not being able to recognize heroes and heroines in our midst. They may not wear distinctive clothing or adorn themselves with badges and labels of any kind as they do in comics, yet many heroes and heroines are extremely close to us.
When we think of heroic people, we tend to think in Marvel Comic images of
caped crusaders, but the REAL heroes and heroines are those whose names may not
even get a mention in the media. Most likely, the first heroes and
heroines we encounter in our lives are our parents. Yeah, those people we tend
to take for granted, perhaps even undermine the enormous contribution they
make. Many parents, however, before, during, and after giving birth, struggle
against all odds to feed and clothe their children in a constant Mount
Everest-like uphill battle. They’re heroes.
Many heroes and heroines can be found in our schools. Good teachers, for
example. They perform God’s work, toil for the benefit of children in the
classroom, and even take home assignments to review and correct.
They’re under-paid, and under-appreciated by their charges, bureaucrats,
and parents. Yet they are the catalysts and architects of society, indeed
the universe. They inspire, mould, shape, and influence all future professions,
all in the course of a normal day’s work. They magically transform
children’s self-doubts into confidence; open their eyes, open their minds, and
touch their hearts to embrace exciting new possibilities.
Superior kind of person
Good teaching demands a special kind of person with a special
set of skills. It’s impossible to measure the valuable contribution a good
teacher makes to an individual or to society. Every school is a Temple of
Knowledge and serves as a beacon of hope in the choppy, desolate ocean of ignorance,
while every good teacher is its guru and source of inspiration and optimism for
children to learn, develop, and fulfill all of their social, emotional,
academic aspirations and needs.
Good teachers richly deserve standing ovations, together with enthusiastic and prolonged applause. Their professional tool kit
includes compassion, understanding, patience, empathy, love, encouragement,
inspiration, sympathy, and other human qualities. They’re First Responders,
First Aiders, nurses, and mothers when schoolyard accidents occur and they
mix-in copious sympathy to the disinfectant they apply to the cut. They have
heart; they have soul and their hearts, seemingly, are larger than most.
They know instinctively that criticism and condemnation is poisonous to a child’s
learning and offer encouragement at every given opportunity. In return, they’re
loved, respected, and admired by all the doting little Bambi eyed-children who
peer up at them daily in awe.
Sadly, there are some ‘bad’ apples in the profession, too, who deserve no
appreciation whatsoever. They’re destructive and evil. Their tools include
corporal punishment, hurtful, discouraging, sniding remarks, aggression,
belittlement of the children in front of their peers, making the child’s
experience an horrific experience and worst of all they destroy a child’s joy
of learning. They’re ignorance personified.
Disliked and despised
Most in this category are disliked, disrespected, and despised
by their pupils. They give the eminent profession a bad name and the children
loathe and hate school. To a committed professional, teaching isn’t a
‘job’; it is a vocation – a calling (from God, if you like) to serve
humanity. They love their work and it shows. Every good teacher knows the
enormous importance of establishing a relationship of mutual respect. It
takes patience and time, but the dividends are enormous. Children will do
ANYTHING for their favorite teacher... especially learn!
Substitute parent
Good teachers take on the role as a substitute parent, and
become their friend, not their jailer. They show an interest in all that
interests the child and some even sing Happy Birthday on their special
day! School ought to be a fun place to be, not a perceived mental and
physical torture chamber. Happy children NEVER tire of school, never tire of
learning, and never want to miss a day and their homework is home-play. It’s
their Disney World of thrills and exhilaration and every ride is FREE!
When children are happy, they learn faster. And isn’t that what school should
be all about: Fun, Games, Knowledge, Friendship, Love of one’s fellowman, Love
of one’s nation, admiration, harmony, respect and goodwill for all? Good
teachers are the unsung heroes of all nations and grossly under appreciated by
many. They are silent heroes and heroines; educators, mentors, character
sculptors and substitute parents to all, and the dearest of dear friends to
many. A world without good teachers is unimaginable. Their fingerprints
never fade from the lives they touch. We should not show our appreciation just
one day each year, but every day to them. (SFP)
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